Feedback or review

Has anyone returned from this new itinerary and want to share some feedback for those of us looking forward to this trip over the next few months? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the ship, itinerary, food and tours. Any insight would be appreciated.

Comments

There were 81 passengers on the inaugural that ended April 19. There should be another group back soon, and maybe they are a better barometer because sometimes it takes a bit to perfect an itinerary.

We were on ms Treasures. I think most cruises of this itinerary, going forward, will be on other ships. I was very happy with Treasures, though. The only flaw I could find with it was that the room phones were new, corded, and lightweight such that when I lifted the handset, the base jumped around like a Chihuahua!

The service varied from very good to excellent, and the meals were almost always very good. Desserts were consistently excellent!

Highlights: The Last Super, lunch at Locanda dell'Isola on Lake Como, stork-watching in the Alsace region (not an official activity), dinner at Schloss Vollrads, Rudesheim (everything there), and The Sandy Quartet (on board entertainment, one night).

The only real low-light, I think, was lunch on the canal boat in Amsterdam. The meal was fine, but there was no reason to have lunch on a canal boat. It was uncomfortable, and because it was enclosed in glass, it was difficult to take photos - especially if you were facing the stern and could not see what was coming up. Much better would be to have lunch elsewhere, and a canal boat ride on an open boat where everyone faces forward.

All sorts of terrible photos (I am a terrible photographer) and video here:

Thanks so much - your comments and insight were justwhat we were looking for, good and bad. The dailies in your pictures were helpful as well. Would love to find your blog..... hopefully someone will report in from the MS Inspire as well

We just returned from this trip and we were a group of 120 on the Inspire. We loved Milan although we were disappointed that there was no tour inside the Duomo or La Scala . Having free transportation from the hotel to the Center was handy and the hotel was lovely but try and get a room on a higher floor because it can be noisy. The Lake Como experience was lovely ,the ride through the Alps superb and Zurich was charming. This was our first river cruise and we were surprised at the long bus rides at most stops along the way. We envisioned stepping off the ship and walking into towns and being able to go out in the evening for a local dinner. Staff on board were very nice. Our guides were okay but seemed a bit aloof. We may be spoiled having had land tours with Tauck where we had the same guide through the whole trip and really felt a connection . The only part of the tour we really did not like was the dinner at the Schloss. It was very hot and very long and the owners did not allow us to be in the garden. The entertainment felt like we were attending a wedding. Something more local or classical would have been preferred. The ride down the Middle Rhine watching the castles go by was very pretty. One final comment is that the tours in a couple of spots were challenging for folks on the trip who had mobility issues even though this was classified as a 2 in difficulty. Walks could be long and include steps and small hills . In general we were happy with this itinerary and glad we travelled with Tauck.

We, too, were in the same group as was Nita, and I agree with so much of what she said (as did several others I spoke to during our many days together).

This was our 4th Tauck tour, and compared to the others, a disappointment. While the countries, cities, and towns we visited were lovely and worthwhile, as were most of the activities, and the MS Inspire and it's crew were delightful, the three tour directors on this trip imparted little or no information in advance regarding the possible physical challenges of some of the activities and tours included in the trip, nor did Tauck mention anything about steep inclines and stairs (four flights to get to lunch in Zurich) in their "PACE 2" description. We felt that there was an overall feeling of "unorganization".

It also greatly concerned my husband and me that our group was given no way to get in touch, in case of emergency, with our tour directors when they were not in the hotel in Milan. On all other trips that we've ever taken...both on Tauck and with other companies...we were always given a cell phone number or some way to contact our director if absolutely necessary. Our directors on this trip told us that they did not have to give us their number, and a Tauck rep has since told me that they are correct...there is no Tauck policy on this; it is up to the individual director. We feel this should be rectified. If a tour director, responsible for up to dozens of people, has no way of being reached if there has been an accident or other major problem, this becomes a true safety issue. While I certainly understand a tour director not wanting to give out his/or her personal cell phone number, Tauck should issue a business cell phone to at least one of the tour directors to be used when necessary.

Nita mentioned the disappointment in the Schloss, and we are in complete agreement. We would also suggest that the wine tour of Alsace not include the Organic Winery that we visited. While very interesting and a great concept, the wines were barely drinkable....at least for some of us.

Even with all of the negatives, we do not regret taking this journey as we saw some beautiful sights, experienced some wonderful adventures, and met many terrific people.

We just hope that Tauck will do what needs to be done to make it even better and safer.

PS If you get the opportunity to go on the culinary tour of Dusseldorf with James....take it!!!!!

Mousemom - Thank you for your honest and frank review. We are scheduled for this trip next year. You mention other issues in your review that you declined to explain. For the sake of us future travelers hope you will elaborate a little in this forum so we know more of what to expect.

Mousemom, we have been on around 30 land tours with Tauck but have chosen this tour for our first River cruise but next year.
I am disappointed to here about the lack of helpfulness about the Tour directors. However. Giving out cell phone numbers is a very recent thing. Tauck supplies a 24 hour emergency number for all tours but thankfully we have never had to use it. I guess that having the telephone number of the hotel on your person would be better than nothing. I wonder if these particular individuals have been the subject of being contacted too frequently in the past for very trivial reasons which may be why they were reluctant to give out the cell numbers. Maybe it was just this particular tour group? I suspect they can suss out a group very quickly and figure out whether it is going to be a group who demands a lot of attention, I just don’t know.
Regarding the long bus trips to attractions, that is not a surprise to me, I would expect it, particularly with how popular River cruising has become. I also would realize that strolling into town for dinner is something I would not expect to be able to do on a cruise—- to do that you have to do the land tours which give you lots more free time and generally you cover more of the sites.
I would also like to hear more of the negatives, I have had reservations about being with such large groups even when they are split up amongst tour directors. I wonder if this will be our one and only river cruise or will we become addicted as most people are.

This will be our 4th river cruise and in our opinion they are wonderful. I think the docking in remote areas must be unique to the Rhine. We have done the Seine, Rhône & Danube and most nights we were right in the heart of town. Sometime rafted up with other boats but easy enough to walk off the boat and into town.

Hopefully the bad apples alluded to by other posters will be rooted out by next year. We have had nothing but cordial pros on our previous Tauck trips.

Dinamo, I’ll be interested to see what I think of the tour when I take it. But I think some of your disappoint might have been ignorance on your part. Of course we already know that rivers attract industry and boat docks are not necessarily near ‘attractions’ we expect to be in the bus for a while. We expect not to have much time to shop, Tauck has always made it clear that shopping is not what they are about and I love that about them. When paying for a tour, people expect to get to see a lot but it can only be a taster of what there is to see. When we want time and detail we visit one destination. We find that Tauck tours are useful for us to see what we might want to go back and see on our own. I don’t know if this is how others use the tours. I have been putting off River cruise for a long time because there is less chance of getting to feel the ambiance of a place when you are not even staying on land there. Plus, the cruises are expensive compared to the land tours. I am however, very disturbed about the quality of the tour directors that several people have mentioned as being poor, we have always had top notch directors who go above and beyond even when at times they have had to deal with some intolerable and selfish clients.

Dinamo, it is pretty obvious that you did not do your homework and had unrealistic expectations- the killer of many endeavors.

Before we take a Tauck or any trip we thoroughly research the area. It appears you did not do this. Tauck is always more than happy to give you additional details- they are just a toll-free call away. A quick look at a map is a clue that all places of interest are not along the river banks, and you must get there somehow- train or bus. And yes, Europe has traffic which Tauck nor anyone else can do anything about. I think a real clue of what kind of traveler you might be is your statement, "Dusseldorf, where we did have a chunk of time, does not rival Beverly Hills or NYC."

It is too bad the view along the Rhine was not as you imagined and curse those the locals for having infrastructure and industry needed to support their economy, but 80% industrial views?!?!? It is no different than many places in the US- NYC has power plants, docks and slums, darn it! Travel books, like fashion magazines have clothes and models that are designed to entice you to buy- to visit their resort, country, etc. It is always sunny and the sky beautiful blue, no crowds, idyllic castles, etc. etc. Only Disney, who uses faux everything and has no visible industry or infrastructure, is like that. There are only so many castles in Europe- but you can go many miles, by road or river, and not see any! But, adequate research will tell you that. Most of the locations Tauck or any tour company visits will have many more attractions to see than you will have time for. We could have easily spent 3 or 4 more days in Prague, Vienna, etc., but a 10, 12, etc. day tour can only be, as British said, " . . a taster of what there is to see." To be sure, Tauck tours are not inexpensive, but I challenge you to compare what you get on any other tour for the same amount of money. It sounds to me like it would be better for you to save your money, develop a list of places and things you would like to see, then, contact a private tour guide and see what he would charge to take you there and coordinate lodging, dining, and transportation. Do your research to determine what person or company will cater to, " . . . how we like to travel" so it is not "a waste of time and money." Before you book "any tour anywhere," you should have as much detail as you need to make an informed decision. Why didn't you do it this time?

I agree with British & AlanS regarding having expectations of what a river cruise should be. They are for the most part, to quote a 60’s movie, “If it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium”. For us, that is perfect and we really enjoy this type of travel and are fortunate enough to be able to do at at the Tauck level.

Of real concern to me is the less than Tauck quality of some of the events and tour directors that are being reported. If the opening dinner does not work then I sure hope Tauck tweaks it. Same goes for hokey (as others have reported) dinner and band at the castle. Tauck needs to fine tune this tour to bring it up to their incredibly high standards.

Not sure if Tauck monitors these forums but hopefully they do and will get the message. They have earned an amazing reputation and customer loyalty but that is only as good as your latest trip. More reviews and forum postings as the recent ones concerning this tour can erode all of the good will quickly.

I have just noticed that Dinamo has deleted their forum post, but they give similar comments on the ‘Review’ part of the tour page. There are 14 reviews there. Reviews for April are good, but several for May regarding the poor quality of the tour directors are there. There were a couple of mentions about being a tougher tour than a Tauck ‘2’ because of steps but when I read the 2 it does say, cobbles steps and length of walking that might be done. I do think the tour directors might have said something about the four flights of stairs for the dinner if they could see some of the group might have difficulty. But maybe that lady who was on our non Tauck tour of Namibia was there, and she arrived in a wheelchair and could barely put one foot in front of another. Needless to say, that impacted the whole group, made delays and means we will not travel with that company again, it was our first and last trip without Tauck.
I guess now the original post has gone, this all does not make sense to upcoming readers. Only the travelers on the Tour and Tauck who should have gotten the Hope and Trust feedback paperwork will get an idea of what went wrong. Individuals have likes and dislikes so that is harder to evaluate. For example the original poster said they were given beef cheeks at dinner and that was disgusting, well guess what, we like beef cheeks!

For the record...and so we are all on the same page....this was copied from Tauck's description of this trip:" LEVEL 2: Guests should be able to easily walk one to two miles, which may include climbing one or two flights of stairs and walking over uneven pavement, groomed hiking trails or cobblestones. Standing up to one hour or more may be required." To my mind of thinking (and I could be wrong...won't be the first time , 4 flights of stairs and steep inclines are not part of the description, and most definitely should have been mentioned in advance...either by Tauck or by the tour directors.

Also...you mention having gone on a non-Tauck tour to Namibia where one of your fellow travelers was in a wheel chair. In our group of 117, there was one gentleman who could easily walk on his own for short distances, but was pushed in a wheelchair by his wife for longer distances, and also a woman who needed to use a walker on our sightseeing tours (she was aided by her husband and local guides).....neither slowed down the group as far as I could tell (we had no specific groups...it changed daily...so I am not positive on that), nor did the several others who had some knee or other mobility issues. I assume they did not participate in the activities that they would be unable to do.....if they knew ahead of time.

I also agree that everyone should do their homework before booking any trip...especially if he/she is new to that kind of travel (i.e. river boat cruising). As Dinamo admitted in his review....they didn't...and found out after the fact that this was not the kind of traveling they prefer. Lesson learned. They were not blaming Tauck for that.

I am a loyal Tauck supporter who LOVED the first 3 trips we took with them, and who is only giving MY opinion about this particular trip. As I said in my first post....this is a great excursion in most respects, and I am glad we went with Tauck on it. No trip is perfect....none...and though Tauck has shown over and over again that they are a leader in customer satisfaction, there is sometimes room for improvement. They have always been willing to do that, and hopefully will continue.

I hope those of you who have yet to embark on this adventure have safe and enjoyable travels!

To British. I’m so glad you are such a worldly tourist that has so much free time to post comments on trips you’ve never set foot on. You demonstrate you are a pompous know it all, a self proclaimed expert. I was on this tour. You were not. You admonish my opinions like I’m some twit that hasn’t travelled. Stop butting in on tours you know nothing about. This tour did not meet my expectations because I am a traveler and not a tourist. I’ll tell it like it is and I don’t need your pompous, high horse attitude to “correct” me or “explain.” Yes I deleted my post because I have awareness for others that this may be their only way to fly. Good for them. That’s why Tauck is in biz. I’m not their market and maybe someone who is reading this will identify with me and I will save them five figures of USD. Sitting on a boat and bus with little free time in fab places is not my gig.

To AlanS. I don’t need your admonishing comments like I’m some unaware idiot. You were not on this tour. When I’m told this is the best, this is great, it’s all relative as I have learned. The travel agent was no help and I relied on the opinion of friends. I don’t appreciate your pompous self proclaimed, expert opinions. I can beat myself up without your help thank you. Maybe someone reading this thread will be alerted/ validated in their decision making process for this tour as a result of honest posts written by people who actually were on this tour, not an arm chair quarterback cruise “expert.”

To British. I’m so glad you are such a worldly tourist that has so much free time to post comments on trips you’ve never set foot on. You demonstrate you are a pompous know it all, a self proclaimed expert. I was on this tour. You were not. You admonish my opinions like I’m some twit that hasn’t travelled. Stop butting in on tours you know nothing about. This tour did not meet my expectations because I am a traveler and not a tourist. I’ll tell it like it is and I don’t need your pompous, high horse attitude to “correct” me or “explain.” Yes I deleted my post because I have awareness for others that this may be their only way to fly. Good for them. That’s why Tauck is in biz. I’m not their market and maybe someone who is reading this will identify with me and I will save them five figures of USD. Sitting on a boat and bus with little free time in fab places is not my gig.

Well thanks Dinamo. Yes, like to participate on this forum, like to think that most of my posts are useful to someone. Yes spend time reading here because I like to travel and have found what people say very useful as I have commented in the earlier part of this thread from what you originally said but then deleted. I expressed concern because I am taking the tour next year. This site is the equivalent of my Facebook and it is the only media site I use, it's nice to take a break for a cup of tea or when I wake early to read the Tauck forums and no one has to read my opinions. Never spend time looking at my phone, so in fact I probably am on social media way less than most. Yes, probably sound pompous but have learned a lot by traveling mistakes in the past, so try to research before I go to a new place or take advice from friends. When I used that other tour company I took the advice from a friend, but that friend was newish and did not really know what I am about.
You say it right there to Alan and me, you are a Traveler, your friends should have known this tour was not you. Your travel agent did not do a good job either. I am still confused that as a traveler you did not do the research before your trip. Please enjoy your future travels, that clearly will not be with Tauck and I sincerely hope that the negative comments you and others made about this particular tour have been rectified. On my most recent and first Small Ship tour with Tauck, I learned that Tauck has employed 50 new tour directors this year and perhaps you were subjected to them and maybe they have received further training since or have been dismissed.
Clearly you will have no need to post here again. I was following all Tauck forum guidelines when I made my post, I was not being offensive, I suggest you also read the guidelines. I do have to remind myself of them, but not this time.

Wow, I missed most of this thread while we were in Ireland. Certainly got hot. I will add a couple of observations based on Rhone, Rhine/Moselle and Seine river cruises and 2 European lands tours with Tauck.

A team of TDs/CD that don't gel well can be a problem. On our Rhine/Moselle experience the 3 TDs were great but somehow the communication broke down between them and the CD resulting in confusion and frustration.

I've never been given the TDs phone number. Usually its go to the CD's desk on the ship or the hotel's reception desk at a hotel. It probably would be good to have a way to contact them while off the ship or out of the hotel in case of emergencies.

Yes, I believe the Rhine is likely the worst of the rivers as far as docking locations vs sights. Our first was the Rhone where all stops were in towns where you went on walking tours right from the ship and usually had the opportunity to spend time on your own before heading back to the ship - Arles and Avignon the best. The Rhine was the opposite where almost all docking was in places you had no interest in touring. (Boppard and the Moselle portion were the exception - loved them). The sights we were bused to were interesting and we always had extra time on our own after the guided tours. In several cases there were optional times for shuttles back to the ship so you had flexibility.

I know some people like the idea of going into town for dinner but we never do. Since we've already paid for meals on board the ship and dinner is especially good there it seems silly to pay again somewhere else for a meal. The chefs on the ships do try to feature local cuisine and every cruise had had special tastings on board. Also, its a matter of logistics - the ship frequently gets underway during dinner for the next stop. If it means less underway time overnight I'd prefer it since it's likely to be a noisier night when you're trying to sleep - engine/thruster noise, bumps hitting the locks, creaking, etc.

Hope someone who has recently returned from this trip can answer a few questions about the day in Amsterdam. I realize that actual schedules change for each tour due to existing circumstances but in your experience:

- Arrival is listed as “late morning. What time did you arrive Amsterdam?
- when did the canal cruise/lunch finish as trying to figure a plan for remainder of the day. Hoping to be able to do Anne Frank house and Rijksmuseum after the canal boat before returning to the ship? In your opinion, is this doable?

Any and all suggestion will be greatly appreciated. We are on the May 17 trip next year but I still have several months to obsess .

Lots of negative feedback. I'm looking forward to my cruise (2nd river cruise with Tauck, and my 12th trip with them). I leave October 19th. Are the directors better now? I can honestly say, I have never had a bad experience with any of the trips with Tauck. Also, I don't mind 4 flights of stairs!

I have been on 38 Tauck tours to date, both U.S./Canada and international (including 4 Events and 3 riverboat cruises) with one more land tour and two more riverboat cruises coming up later this year). I have never had a less than excellent experience and all of the TDs/CDs have been great. With the aging of populations worldwide, Tauck is no exception. Many of the Tauck TDs are getting close to retirement or have already retired and some of them have come back on duty occasionally to help out on Tauck "Events." Tauck has also had to hire a number of new TDs to replace the older retiring/retired TDs. I assume that like with any job, it may take some time for some of them to "catch up." I understand that situation, but so far I have not met any TD/CD on one my trips that was not excellent IMHO. :-)

Would appreciate if anyone who has been on this trip could advise the timing of the canal cruise/lunch in Amsterdam. Trying to figure out if we have time to schedule either the Ann Frank house or the Rijksmuseum after the canal cruise before we need to return to the boat. Much thanks, Bryan

Would appreciate if anyone who has been on this trip could advise the timing of the canal cruise/lunch in Amsterdam. Trying to figure out if we have time to schedule either the Ann Frank house or the Rijksmuseum after the canal cruise before we need to return to the boat. Much thanks, Bryan

I did this tour in August. I do not remember the exact time that the lunch on the canal boat ended but it was around 2. My friends and I had tickets to see the Anne Frank house at 3. We took a cab from the dock and were there in plenty of time for the tour. All tickets for the Anne Frank house must be purchased online prior to arrival. The time on the ticket is when you actually get on line to enter.

Greetings everyone and thank you for taking the time to post. We are having our 1st Tauck experience with this itinerary next April and are very much looking forward to it. I was not on line when Dinamo posted his review but from what I gather he felt that there was not enough individual time at each stop. Is that correct? Is there ANY time allotted for roaming on one's own? Is taking the transportation to the destination and meeting back up after the tour frowned upon? Not saying that that's what we want to do but I am curious about our options. Thanks.

We haven't done this specific tour but took the Rhine/Moselle cruise a few years ago in addition to Rhone and Seine cruises.

In general, there is time on your own after the guided tour although it can vary. I do remember on the Rhine/Moselle cruise that we would be bused to the tour location, had a guided tour, then given free time. On a couple of occasions there was 2 options for return time depending on how long you wanted to stay. Like you could walk about a bit on your own then catch the bus back in time for lunch on the ship or spend longer in town with lunch on your own then return.

And no, don't worry about doing your own thing. Just tell the Tour Director your plans, make sure you know where the bus pick up point is and the time. Usually once the last shuttle returns to the ship, it gets underway to the next stop so it's very important not to be late. If they say "all aboard, ship departs at 3pm", trust me that ship will be underway.

Greetings everyone and thank you for taking the time to post. We are having our 1st Tauck experience with this itinerary next April and are very much looking forward to it. I was not on line when Dinamo posted his review but from what I gather he felt that there was not enough individual time at each stop. Is that correct? Is there ANY time allotted for roaming on one's own? Is taking the transportation to the destination and meeting back up after the tour frowned upon? Not saying that that's what we want to do but I am curious about our options. Thanks.

We haven't taken this tour. Since it is too early to have received your Green Book, go to the itinerary on the website. It will give you a general idea of the amount of free time, e.g. "You have the afternoon free to . . . then join us this evening for a dinner at . . ." or "after a brief introduction, you are free to explore . . . " Other posters may have more specific info, but as you know a tour's schedule can change from year to year and even departure to departure.

"enough individual time" is subjective. After an excursion some people will return with Tauck to the boat/hotel, some will stay in town (whether there is Tauck-provided return transportation or not) to explore on their own and even skip a Tauck- provided dinner, some won't even go on an excursion, Really?!?!?! Yup! The bottom line is it all depends on who you ask. Tauck tours are typically busy- some folks are ready to "get to it" first thing every morning, others not so much. Some need one cup of decaf some need two espressos! : )

I assume when you say destination, you mean to an excursion site? I'm sure there may be folks who have done that, but why? Tauck transportation is free and the bus ride may include a local guide presentation before you reach a particular site. Also, if you are going to do that, why not just travel on your own instead of with a tour company. That being said, many, many people, me included, will plan their own activities- for early arrival before the tour starts, for free time during the tour (always a danger that the schedule will change), and in the days after a tour.

Except for before and after, many tours do not provide enough free time that would allow you to do more than a short activity. We have done that that a few times- before the start of Classic Italy, we hired a guide to show us Capri (now a Tauck option) and the next day visited Herculaneum and Naples attractions. During the tour, we used our two free afternoons in Florence to hire a driver for an excursion to Pisa, took a Seqway tour of Florence, and did the full Duomo visit (climbed the dome, visited the baptistry, the Duomo museum, etc.). There was free time in Rome but it changed significantly from what had been originally published- we knew from reading the forum archives that this was a possibility so did not plan any hard-scheduled activities. In our free time we walked around and visited the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon. On Romantic Germany, instead of going to visit the Passion Play theater in Oberammergau (we saw it on the Ultimate Alps tour) we hoofed it (couldn't get a taxi) to the edge of town (not far) and rode a chairlift up and a crazy-fast summer bobsled run back down. The only regret we had was that we didn't skip lunch and head there earlier so we could have taken a second run!

I’d like to report that I have now taken this tour and found it fabulous. All the tour directors were wonderful, going over and above, lots of details, very caring. One loaned me a book of Milan while were on the train, when I said the book was great, he insisted I keep it.
There were lots of steps, cobbles and hills. One slightly disabled person held our bus up for fifteen minutes so that we were late back to the ship, but after that the tour directors organized an extra excursion group, going forward, for those who had mobility problems. Otherwise, to be honest, it would have impacted the group to have to wait for people.
Dinner at the Castle was fine, no band. It wasn’t hot when we went.
Food and service by all the staff on the ship was excellent. Time to explore on your own at some destinations, in fact, more than on land tours in some instances because there is usually little time or shop on land tours.
Only one disappointment, George Clooney never came out to wave, even though he was in residence.